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Supreme Pairing
Pianist, conductor offer astounding performance Two significant personalities were on view at the latest Skaneateles Festival concert - conductor Hugh Keelan and young pianist Conrad Tao. Keelan, the Music Director of the Erie Philharmonic for the last five years, suggests an intriguing blend of the showman and the scholar. As for the young pianist, Conrad Tao showed himself to be not just any piano prodigy, but a young man of astounding gifts. The program - transferred from Brook Farm in deference to threatening skies - was a classical-era affair. Even the sole exception to that designation on the program, by French composer Jacques Ibert, was an "Hommage a Mozart." This suited conductor Keelan to a "T," as he obtained precise, involved playing from the Festival Orchestra, and was easily able to delineate structure, as well as phrase with authority. Commencing with Gluck's Overture to "Iphigenia en Aulide," one was immediately struck by Keelan's grand scale approach. Although the performance might have benefited by a larger ensemble, the Festival Orchestra acquitted itself respectably. And, it must be noted, that it was nice to hear more of Gluck's music, even with a Mozartean concert ending to the overture grafted on by unknown hands. Between this Skaneateles tidbit and the production of "Orpheus" at Glimmerglass this summer, Gluck fanciers must have gained some measure of contentment. A more substantial offering was Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21 in C, formerly known as the "Elvira Madigan" concerto. But memories of that 1967 film are fast fading, while the music of Mozart that the film utilized is still going strong. And, with 13 year-old pianist Conrad Tao as the soloist, we can count on at least another generation or two performing this music. As to the young Mr. Tao, he is simply a supremely accomplished pianist technically, with taste and style that run far beyond his years. Many the virtuoso has been wrecked on the shoals of Mozart's crystalline textures, playing with too much bravura and wrecking havoc with Mozart's exquisitely wrought architectural balances and beautifully worked-out content. Not so Conrad Tao. His passage work was admirably clear and his articulation exemplary, but his performance went far beyond a high technical polish and into the realm of a living, breathing Mozart experience - scrupulously conceived and near-perfectly achieved, but lively and engaging as well. Just about the only thing that might have betrayed Tao's youth were the cadenzas he fashioned for the Concerto, the first movement's having a Beethovenian cast that at a point tilted toward Rachmaninoff , the final movement's submission hinting at the world of Liszt. Little matter - Earlier talents of the highest level have appended cadenzas to Mozart works that have strayed even greater distances. The miraculous thing about Tao is that when you closed your eyes and simply listened, the idea that a lad who just turned thirteen is playing before you does not even enter your mind for a moment. Instead, one is drawn to the freedom of expression within a matrix of objectivity and fidelity to the score, as well as the supremely polished technical equipment that allows that expression to happen. At the risk of suggesting the young man grow up too fast, one looks forward eagerly to his continued development, and hopefully to his continued affiliation with the Skaneateles Festival. Note to the Festival hierarchy - this may be the time to buy that Steinway D instrument we've all been dreaming of. After the Mozart performance earned a standing ovation - and after the assembled audience had whispered an involuntary hushed "Wow," Tao ran back on stage to play an encore of the Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No. 11 in A minor. The playing was again staggeringly clean and crisp, but expressive and dramatic as well. Another somewhat stunned standing ovation followed. After intermission, Jacques Ibert's "Hommage a Mozart" was featured. Despite a touch of ragged playing, the piece was charmingly ebullient in a way that brought to mind a French version of Prokofiev's "Classical Symphony," as well as the saucy final movement of Ibert's own "Divertissement." The performance was spirited and sprightly. Concluding the program was the Symphony No. 86 in D of Josef Haydn, and an inspired choice it was. Keelan brought the best out of this somewhat unusual work, the first of Haydn's "Paris" symphonies. A large-scale Adagio opening developed into a crisp Allegro first movement, played fast enough to be just on the edge of articulation. The Capriccio second movement was fun-house Haydn, all strange structures and a witty sense of being off-kilter. The third movement Minuet was handled vigorously, and the central Trio was a properly relaxed affair. The Finale sparkled, with superb articulation even at a quick tempo, capping off a finely tuned and exemplary reading of the work. Yet another standing ovation concluded the evening.
Friday, August 24, 2007 By Chuck Klaus The third week of the 2007 Skaneateles Chamber Festival started with a full-force entry into the world of mainstream chamber music, courtesy of a program of selections by Brahms, Mendelssohn and Schumann. The Thursday night concert included pianist Gilbert Kalish, the Jupiter String Quartet and violist Roger Tapping, and an incredible energy that accompanied every work on the program. The performances were much more intense than is the usual standard at Skaneateles - or anywhere else, for that matter. The Viola Sonata in F minor of Brahms was first on the bill, a late work composed when Brahms - a middle-aged man by today's standards - was already beginning to sum up. Usually the work is treated in an autumnal, meditative fashion, but Tapping (late of the Takacs Quartet) and Boston Chamber Players pianist Kalish were having none of that. Their rendition was speedy, emphatic and intense. Tapping is a passionate and technically accomplished player, and he and Kalish contributed a supremely well-integrated performance, with much forward propulsion and short sections of flexibility that made the overall speed acceptable. Tapping's tone was at its best in the luminous lower ranges; Kalish for his part created a massive, dark piano sonority. Felix Mendelssohn's String Quartet, Op. 80 (also in F minor) was next, giving us the dual chance to revel in Mendelssohn's mature creativity and to marvel at the playing of the young Jupiter String Quartet. (Nelson Lee and Meg Freivogel, violins, Liz Freivogel, viola and Daniel McDonough, cellist.) This is a superbly endowed group technically, playing at a level of precision and coordination that nearly beggars description. The final pages of the first movement of the F minor Quartet was one of the most exciting moments I've ever had at a chamber music concert, as the sheer power and velocity the Jupiter brought to the work was breathtaking. Mendelssohn has rarely been as rigorously served, and the Skaneateles audience gave the group an immediate standing ovation. The final item was the grand Piano Quintet of Robert Schumann, and the combination of Kalish and the Jupiter brought forth the most fleet and intense version of the Quintet I've yet heard. Dynamics were more varied here than in the Mendelssohn, and although the speed may have robbed the second movement "Un poco largamente" of some of its atmosphere, the scherzo third movement was thrillingly and brilliantly played. A taut and well-articulated final movement brought forth yet another standing ovation.
Anna Reguero (August 19, 2007) - In the life of a string quartet, youth is a virtue. A young string quartet is an excitable child; the musicians are still discovering every unique, quirky moment of the repertoire with each new performance. It's most fascinating, however, when that musical discovery can be heard on stage. The Jupiter String Quartet, which will perform as part of the Skaneateles Festival's Musical Mentors program, has perfected the sonorities of youth and energy. It's not a purely classical approach - though it aims for a true interpretation of the score - but a youthful aggressiveness, a hunger to dive into music with a big, racing heart. "Our main goal is to connect emotionally with the audience," says cellist Daniel McDonough. "That's what drives our quartet." They go for it, as they say about athletes. For them, string quartet music is treated as a sport with audience participation. "Keep up with us," their playing seems to say. "We're going on an adventure." The Jupiter String Quartet started as four string players at a music festival in Texas seven years ago: two sisters - a violinist and violist - and two young men, a cellist and a violinist. Each found his or her way to Boston for New England Conservatory's professional string quartet training program, and poof, entered into a career. Jupiter has been swept into a path so many young ensembles wish for but few attain. In the mass of prestigious competitions, one of the few ways a young ensemble can be discovered, Jupiter came out on top consistently. It won first prize in the Banff International String Competition (where the Ying Quartet won second prize in 1992), the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and the Young Concert Artists Competition - achievements while they were still students. "It kind of happened quickly," says McDonough. "While we were in school, we were lucky to have some success at competitions. ... When we were done with school, we were established enough and on our way." The Jupiter Quartet has learned early on that it's not always easy to be a professional group. There's a dizzying amount of repertoire, long hours on the road and multiple people, as it seems, living one life together. Relations are close: Meg and Liz Freivogel are sisters, and Meg Freivogel and McDonough are married. For a group in their late 20s, nothing could have prepared them for this experience. "It's been a real learning experience because when you're in school, you spend a whole semester preparing for one recital," says McDonough. "It's a lot of build up. You play for a lot of people; you get a lot of coachings. Now, we're playing concerts every week. You have to learn more quickly and learn from each other and trust each other. The amount you learn being on stage that much is not something you can learn in school." Though the life of a performer can't be taught, they've gotten as close as possible. While in Boston, they studied with cellist Paul Katz of the Cleveland Quartet, considered one of the top quartets of all time with a career that spanned 26 years. Those studies must have contributed to recent accolades, include winning the Cleveland Quartet Award from the professional organization Chamber Music America and becoming the newest string quartet addition to Lincoln Center's Chamber Music Society Two residency program. When they think of the kind of career they hope to have unfold, it's the Ying Quartet's career that comes to mind - quartet-in-residence at a major college while maintaining a concert schedule. And, in some ways, their own career is shaping up similarly to the Yings: an ensemble of family members, winning major competitions, participating in outreach concerts (which they will do through CMS Two) and, hopefully, teaching. The Musical Mentors program at the Skaneateles Festival is meant to focus their work with musical laureates violist Roger Tapping and pianist Gilbert Kalish, and Jupiter members seem grateful to work with both artists. "It's nerve-racking, too," says McDonough. "A lot of these pieces are new for us and have been played so many times from musicians from generations before us. There's so much to learn." For Jupiter, the mentoring will be twofold: to continue to soak up the music from their elders in their exuberant fashion and to peek at the Yings through the festival to see what life might look like in their future.
The Post Standard The second week of the Skaneateles Festival for 2007 is intensively showcasing the music of 35-year-old American composer Kevin Puts. Although any new music presentations carry with them a certain element of risk (and possible rejection from the more traditional wing of concert music listeners), the Skaneateles Festival has gambled and won by giving a platform to Puts, a polished and imaginative composer. The first of two Puts works on the program featured the composer himself at the piano, in his own "Three Nocturnes" from 2004. The first item of this set spotlighted piano and clarinet - Puts and Jose Franch-Ballester, respectively - both contributing fine tone and technique. Violinist Lisa Kim was given the atmospheric but somewhat thankless task of playing arpeggios, circular musical figures that gave the work a kind of minimalist gloss. The second section, marked Tranquillo, gave Kim a chance to show off her fine tone and technique in a duet with Franch-Ballester. The final Nocturne, marked Adagio, was primarily a piano work with the material at first depicting a schism, then coming together stylistically, as the violin and clarinet joined in during the final pages. Warm applause greeted the set. Second on the bill was the lovely Faure Piano Quartet in C minor. This appealing, wonderfully balanced and tasteful four-movement work was done full justice by festival co-director and pianist Elinor Freer, who contributed a flexible, spirited and technically faultless rendition of the score. The rest of the ensemble was on a similar high level. Violinist Maria Schleuning was expressive, displaying a warmth of phrasing that benefited the piece immensely. Michael Klotz was an ideal violist for this rather democratic work: He was no reticent partner, displaying a generous and lovely tone and fine technique. Cellist Astrid Schween's lovely sonority and involved approach perfectly complemented the ensemble. A well-deserved standing ovation followed the performance. Post-intermission, "Einstein on Mercer Street" was heard, a 2002 meditation on the life of the famed scientist, with words by poet Fleda Brown - who just happens to be the aunt of composer Kevin Puts. In the composer's words, it is "a big piece, like a one-man opera." The text was effective, thanks in no small part to the clear-speaking and ultra-flexible and sonorously engaging singing voice of baritone Timothy Jones, the singer who first performed the piece. Brett Mitchell conducted a small ensemble. The pacing of the piece was magical, as was Jones, who created an aura of drama and revelation from the music of Puts and the meditational text of Brown. A standing ovation concluded the evening.
The Post Standard The start of the Skaneateles Festival is upon us, and the first evening concert with the Ying Quartet and folk musician Mike Seeger proved a delight, successfully mixing, or perhaps simply juxtaposing, the world of the concert hall and the ethnomusicologist. Seeger is one of the original members of the New Lost City Ramblers, an influential and important performing group in the folk revival that formed in 1958 and still gives performances to this day. The program began with a polished performance of Samuel Barber's String Quartet Op. 11, the best-known portion of this work being Barber's "Adagio for Strings," usually heard in an orchestra arrangement. The celebrated "Adagio" was given a fully engaged, focused reading without resorting to histrionics, and the vigorous drive and strength of the final section of the piece motivated hearty applause, cheers, and even a bit of foot-stomping. Paquito D'Rivera's 2000 piece "The Village Street Quartet" was next, a work commissioned by the Yings, and a diverse affair it was. After a mellow, jazz-inflected opening, the players were put through their paces in a series of rhythmic adventures which featured sometimes pop-sounding, at other times somewhat acrid harmonies. In addition to jazzlike effects, one could discern a Middle Eastern folk influence, including a section of the work in which all of the Yings produced percussion effects with their instruments. Warm applause greeted the work. The Yings then offered the three "Ghost Rags" of American composer William Bolcom, originally piano pieces here evidently transcribed by the composer, and very pleasingly at that. The Yings' assured, vigorous performance brought forth prolonged applause. After intermission, this generous program continued with Seeger making his vocal appearance in a back-hills folk-inflected version of "Amazing Grace," echoed by the Yings who performed a sensitively arranged version of the famous hymn. Seeger sang "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair." Next was some virtuoso jaw harping, followed by a version of "Blow the Horn, Blow," which featured interesting quick transpositions of the voice and the panpipes. Seeger also performed Elizabeth Cotten's "Freight Train," accompanying himself with some fine guitar picking. The Ying Quartet took the stage for two folk-influenced movements from Jennifer Higdon's 2003 "Southern Harmony," another work written for the Yings. The "Soft Summer" section was an impassioned pastoral, and the "Reel Time" was a fine dance variant. Two songs with the Ying Quartet and Seeger, joined by his wife vocalist Alexia Smith, concluded the program. The traditional tune "Free Little Bird" was given a wining treatment, and Will Ramsey's WWI protest song "Peace" made for a thoughtful conclusion to a plenteous concert experience.
Skaneateles Festival to Publish Cookbook The Skaneateles Festival has long been associated not only with the finest music, but also with good food and warm hospitality, as Bon Appetit magazine highlighted several years ago in their feature on the Festival and its relationship with gourmet food. The beloved recipes that have become hallmarks of Festival dinners and celebrations will soon be available to all in the eagerly-awaited Skaneateles Festival Cookbook, to be published this fall. The Festival Cookbook will feature delectable recipes from dozens of musicians, staff, volunteers and community members who have helped create the Festival's special lakeside ambiance. In addition to enticing local, regional and international recipes, the cookbook will include favorite photos and stories from throughout the Festival's 28-year history. "Excellent food is one of the things that makes the Skaneateles Festival unique," says Louise Robinson, one of the Festival's founders. "Over the years we've discovered that the combination of camaraderie and good food help the musicians give their very best, and we're delighted to share so many of our wonderful recipes with all." All Skaneateles Festival fans are welcome to contribute recipes for the Festival Cookbook. Recipes may be submitted online at www.skanfest.org by clicking on "Festival Cookbook" on the right-hand side of the homepage. Interested cooks may also call 685-7418, email music@skanfest.org, or pick up a recipe form at any Festival concerts. Proceeds from the sale of the books will benefit the Skaneateles Festival, a not-for-profit organization. For more information, please call 685-7418 or visit www.skanfest.org .
Anna Reguero (August 5, 2007) The Ying Quartet has a signature touch on any project it pursues, the way a composer has a signature sound. It's usually a combination of wanting to educate audiences and playing a good cross section of old and new music, minus anything too esoteric. Since husband and wife David Ying and Elinor Freer took over as artistic directors two years ago, the Skaneateles Chamber Music Festival has become an extension of the values of the Yings. Despite dry terms such as programming and outreach, the Yings have always managed to captivate audiences, and for this year's four-week Skaneateles Festival, Ying and Freer have narrowed in on that signature touch: Context. Whether the programming contains familiar staples of chamber music repertoire or a brand-new experiment--such as last year's community composition project using a new computer program--thematic programming in each week gives listeners a new point of entry. For example, Schubert's Trout Quintet, a revolutionary quintet of a string quartet plus a bass, tends to be an overplayed choice for chamber music festivals. With the major theme based on a poem about fishing, it seemed a good choice for the final week's theme, "Bon Appetit." "Hearing it in the midst of food might make it sound a little different," says Ying. Though Schubert most likely wasn't thinking about food when he wrote it, Ying thinks it may help the piece speak to audiences in a new way. Audiences will also hear other food music that week, such as Paul Schoenfield's Café Music and Cole Porter's Tale of the Oyster. "We want to make the music exciting and free for both the long-time and first-time listener," says Ying. "Context for music with a theme can help both of those kinds of listeners. A doorway into the music gives a person confidence to explore music that they haven't thought about or listened to before." As in past years, they'll expand the realm of chamber music. This year, it's with American old-time folk music. Old-time specialist Mike Seeger will play pre-1925 hymns and passed-down American tunes on any number of banjos, fiddles and mouth harps back-to-back with American string quartet music, shedding new light on each style. The Yings will even give the old-timey sounds a try on their own instruments without the help of a score. "With them, it's wonderful because some quartets don't like to play by ear, but the Ying Quartet does it with gusto, with wonderful spirit, and they do it quickly," says Seeger, who has collaborated with the Yings in the past. "It's rare for this kind of thing to be done." Later that week, the legendary New Lost City Ramblers with Seeger will jam at the festival's traditional porch concert held at Brook Farm. The second week, "A Modern Master," brings composer Kevin Puts, an Eastman School of Music graduate, to Skaneateles as composer-in-residence--another first-time try for the festival. "We want to be part of the food chain in the music world," says Freer. Puts' music is flowing and melodic, and he combines unusual instruments such as the clarinet and marimba in his piece And Legions Will Rise, which will be performed that week. He has been the recipient of a number of awards and big-time commissions, including a piece for the New York Philharmonic. He is a personal choice for Ying and Freer--as a wedding gift in 2001, friends commissioned Puts to write a cello and piano duet for the couple to play. Losing violinist Hilary Hahn was a slight blow to festivalgoers who banked on seeing the prodigy grow up into a young adult star, as her schedule became too busy to make her annual migration up to Skaneateles as of last year. However, Conrad Tao, a 13-year-old pianist, will come to the festival this year, and with any luck, he might be the new young face to watch grow up each summer. Rather than emphasize his talents as a prodigy, the week is given the context of "Musical Mentors," where young performers play next to the older generation of great musicians. Tao will meet Gilbert Kalish, a major figure in American piano playing. Additionally, the young Jupiter String Quartet, which has played to rave reviews, will play with Kalish and violist Roger Tapping. "I think it's amazing to watch a young person who's fantastically talented perform. More than a circus act, it'll be great to see him learning," says Ying of having someone as young as Tao at the festival. "There's certainly a lot of pressure because many people do say that people invite younger kids solely because of their age, but I usually don't listen to that," says Tao. "In fact, when I do hear that, it's more motivational to really play the best that I can because it will be a chance to show maybe it's not because I'm young; it's because I really like doing it." As for Hahn? Ying saw her this summer at the Aspen Music Festival, where she approached him about wanting to come back to Skaneateles. "She'll be back," says Ying. The festival wouldn't be complete without free family-oriented concerts. Old-timer Seeger and composer Puts each speak with children during the festival about their styles and moods in the music, continuing to grow their audiences at all ages. Audience members can also hear pre-concert talks by the artists and even listen to an open rehearsal. This year marks the second year without the co-founder of the festival, Dr. David Robinson, who died a month before last year's festival. Programming of the festival was based around some of his favorites, including Bach's Coffee Cantata, and ending the festival with the Mozart Clarinet Concerto, since Robinson was an amateur clarinetist. As usual, Ying and Freer invited a number of performers from the Eastman School of Music faculty, including cellist Steven Doane and clarinetist Jon Manasse, along with a good sprinkling of outside guests. It seems that Ying and Freer have settled into the festival, successfully melding the Ying's aesthetic with the 27-year-old home-grown festival by the lake.
By David Ying (August 5, 2007) In its nearly 30-year history, the Skaneateles Festival has presented extraordinary music, often European in heritage, by composers such as Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms and many others. Music lovers throughout the world know this fabulous music as an artistic treasure; it has endured because of its pure aesthetic beauty and ability to communicate directly to the listener. Here in America though we have our own significant musical heritage as well. It is by now as varied as we Americans are, and the 2007 Skaneateles Festival celebrates our own music in its opening week of concerts. On Thursday, the Festival welcomes to its stage a quintessential American musician, Mike Seeger. He is a member of the famed Seeger clan, America's first family of music. Mike will perform traditional music of the American South on instruments such as banjo, fiddle, quills, and auto-harp, in a genre-bending crossover program with the classically-trained Ying Quartet. In a fascinating mix of classical and folk styles, the quartet and Mike will play both together and separately. The program will include outstanding contemporary composer Jennifer Higdon's Southern Harmony, which blends traditional American music with the classic string quartet. Other works fill out this fascinating, eclectic program: ragtime from Pulitzer Prize-winning composer William Bolcom; jazz star Paquito D'Rivera's Village Street Quartet depicting the musical melting pot of New York City; and Samuel Barber's String Quartet, which contains his famous Adagio, a true American masterpiece and a piece recognized by many from its use in Oliver Stone's Platoon as well as other films. Speaking of film, the following evening, Friday, August 10, the Skaneateles Festival goes to the movies! Join us for one of our most entertaining programs as we showcase music by some of America's greatest film composers, past and present. Timothy Jones and Elinor Freer perform classic songs by Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, and George Gershwin to begin this fun-filled concert. Hollywood composers of yesteryear, Franz Waxman and Erich Korngold wrote wonderfully for the concert stage as well. Waxman's Eine Kleine Nichtmusik is a humorous parody of some of classical music's biggest names (Mozart, Beethoven, Bach and others), and Korngold's romantic string sextet soars with all of the grandeur and drama of a big-screen epic. We'll also hear the powerful and moving pieces from Schindler's List by the king of today's film composers, John Williams. Closing the week on Saturday, Mike Seeger returns with his legendary, Grammy-nominated trio, the New Lost City Ramblers, to present a concert of old-time traditional music from the porch of magical Brook Farm, overlooking the lake. We hope you'll join us for an adventurous three days of music, all "Made in America!"
by David Ying and Elinor Freer, co-artistic directors (August 5, 2007) We're delighted to invite you to another season of chamber music by the lake at the Skaneateles Festival. And we're delighted to have this chance to explain our answer to the question, "What is the Skaneateles Festival?" The Festival is an informal and intimate opportunity for us to share our love of making music with you. Many people find the term "chamber music" odd, unfamiliar, or even daunting. However, it simply refers to music played in a small concert hall (i.e. a chamber) by a small group of players, one person per part (as opposed to an orchestra where there will be ten or more violins, all playing the same part). If you come to First Presbyterian Church any Thursday or Friday in these next four weeks, you'll hear and see small groups of people making music up close in a sanctuary that seats 350 people. Making music requires an audience. Performers and listeners are equal participants at the Festival, and we need you our audience to complete the equation. We play a different program every night (you'll only have one chance to hear Schubert's famous "Trout" Quintet or 12-year-old Conrad Tao play a Mozart piano concerto), and with the stage so close to the audience you can see how much concentration and emotion go into each note we play and how hard we work together in ensemble playing. It's a fantastic opportunity to get up close to the musicians and watch the interaction. Think of it like attending Wimbledon and getting to sit in the umpire's chair, except our venue is air-conditioned! Like you, we've also survived another Central New York winter (we live in Rochester). So in the summer we look forward to dressing light and enjoying the glorious outdoors. You can come as you are--in flip-flops and T-shirts--to any concert. Weather permitting, we will hold four Saturday concerts under the stars, outdoors at Brook Farm. You can spread your blanket and chairs on the lawn beforehand and enjoy a picnic, and children are most welcome. Musicians will assemble on the porch to play while you sit on the grass and enjoy your dinner. You might even hear crickets and frogs singing along with the orchestra or see a shooting star overhead. We love the informality and ambiance of these concerts; if you want to clap after one movement because you liked it so much, we welcome that! At Brook Farm, you can hear standard classical pieces such as a Beethoven symphony or a Mozart piano concerto. However, we present much more at the Festival, and this season will include music that was written just a few years ago by Kevin Puts, one of America's best and brightest young composers. He'll be in residence with us for a week, and we'll hear four of his compositions. If you want to learn more about his music, you can hear him in a free, Wednesday morning FamilyFest concert and in a "Behind the Scenes" talk before a Thursday concert. Come as you are or come at the last minute. Tickets are always available at the door. And if you see one of us in the lobby with our daughter Alina (she's going on 1½), by all means stop and say hello. We'd love to get to know you, and we hope the intimate and friendly spirit of the Skaneateles Festival will capture your imagination as it has ours.
American Folk Music owes a great deal to Mike Seeger. Seeger has turned audiences onto the world of old-time music for the last 50 years as part of the folk band the New Lost City Ramblers. He brought folk music into renowned venues such as the Smithsonian Institute, Carnegie Hall and the White House and has circled the globe performing alongside revered folk musicians like Elizabeth Cotton and Dock Boggs. Now, Seeger and the New Lost City Ramblers will give Skaneateles Festival audiences a taste of America's rich repertoire of traditional music. Seeger, John Cohen and Tracy Schwarz quickly carved out a place for themselves in the folk music world when they formed the New Lost City Ramblers in 1958. Their dedication to old-time American music won the band many fans, and they soon began touring across the United States. Audiences simply fell in love with their homegrown style. It wasn't long before they were showcased on the radio show A Prairie Home Companion and were making appearances on every major U.S. television network. The band soon became international stars as they took their act overseas to such countries as France, Denmark, Great Britain, Japan, Sweden, Finland and more. The New Lost City Ramblers have been performing and recording together for more than four decades now. With more than 25 records and two Grammy nominations, they still love to tour, bringing their iconic American music to towns and cities across the country. "Sometimes in interviews I'm asked why we play old-time music," Seeger explains. "I suspect that many of us play this older style music for some of the same reasons that most bluegrass musicians play bluegrass, because we like it and it fits us." As a solo artist, Mike Seeger has recorded more than ten of his own old-time music albums, garnering four Grammy nominations for his work. Hear this incredible musician entertain audiences of all ages at the Skaneateles Festival's Opening Concert, a free FamilyFest concert on Wednesday, August 8 at 11:00 a.m. The following evening, Thursday, August 9 at 8:00 p.m., Seeger collaborates with the Grammy Award-winning Ying Quintet to present their unique take on traditional and new American music. On Saturday, August 11 at 7:30 p.m., Mike Seeger and the New Lost City Ramblers take the stage - or rather the porch - for a good old-fashioned musical jamboree at Brook Farm. Come early, bring a picnic and experience the joy of live, old-time music.
or Schubert without Goethe? Every composer needs a great librettist, and if you've written a poem about summertime, music, musicians, lakes, or life in Skaneateles or Central New York, then we need you! The Skaneateles Festival is holding a poetry contest, and writers of all ages are encouraged to apply. We are looking for poetry that has to do specifically with the above topics. We will select a few winning poems that will then be set to music in a special newly-composed piece of chamber music. This work will be premiered at the 2009 Skaneateles Festival. Please send a typed copy of your poetry submission to: Skaneateles Festival Or you may email them to music@skanfest.org Please include your full name, age, and contact information. Deadline for submissions is Dec. 15, 2007.
American folk legends The New Lost City Ramblers open festival Widely acclaimed composer-in-residence Kevin Puts' engaging new music 12-year-old pianist Conrad Tao demonstrates young genius (Skaneateles, NY) - When the summer nights roll in and the stars come out to shine, the music lovers gather at the Skaneateles Festival. As the Festival celebrates its 28th season, musicians as diverse as the American folk legends The New Lost City Ramblers and the Grammy-Award winning Ying Quartet prepare to treat audiences with classic and exciting new music alike. This summer promises to be one of the best seasons yet, gracing Skaneateles Lake with world-renowned artists. Drawing from the local community, greater Central New York, and visitors from more than a dozen states and Canada, the Festival charms more than 7,000 audience members each season, providing a welcome breath of musical fresh air every August. This season will kick off on Wednesday, August 8 and continues through the month with a grand finale on Saturday, September 1. Each week boasts its own musical theme, with artists and programs selected accordingly. Wednesday through Friday performances are held in Skaneateles' newly air conditioned First Presbyterian Church, while Saturday evening concerts will be held outdoors on the elegant lakeside lawn at Brook Farm, where audiences are welcome to arrive early and bring a picnic supper. The Festival also offers a variety of programs involving children, families and the entire community. Daytime FamilyFest! concerts, student workshops, open rehearsals, pre-concert talks and post-concert receptions allow audience members an inside look into the musician's world and a chance to engage in conversation with the performers. The Artistic Directors of the Festival, husband and wife team of cellist David Ying and pianist Elinor Freer, have again amassed an outstanding group of musical artists. This year the Festival will feature musicians as well-known and revered as pianist Gilbert Kalish and as young and accomplished as 12-year-old sensation Conrad Tao. The Grammy Award-winning Ying Quartet will once again perform, as well as the Jupiter String Quartet, making their first Festival appearance. Other Festival highlights include bass-baritone singer Timothy Jones, who has performed with orchestras and operas nation-wide, as well as Central New York favorites soprano Janet Brown and Syracuse Stages Bob Moss. August 8-11 The 2007 Skaneateles Festival opens with an unusual look at American music: From Folk to Film. Pianist Elinor Freer will be joined by cellist David Ying and his sibling's Ying Quartet and multiple Grammy-nominee Mike Seeger, himself a member of one of America's most important musical families. In one unique evening they will perform music ranging from American chamber music by Samuel Barber to new works by Paquito D'Rivera to traditional old-time mountain music from the American South. The following night, the musical influence and glamour of Hollywood's film-score composers will be heard through the well-known songs of masters George Gershwin, Jerome Kern and Irving Berlin, as well as current star John Williams. The week ends at Brook Farm with authentic "porch music" from the New Lost City Ramblers, in an evening of folk music performed by this treasured American group. August 15-18 The second week of the Festival features the music of one of America's best and brightest young composers, Prix de Rome winner Kevin Puts. Fresh from commissions by cellist Yo Yo Ma and the Aspen Music Festival, Puts will conduct and play an eclectic variety of his own music, and will be joined by several of today's leading young musicians, including members of the New York Philharmonic, Dallas Symphony Orchestra and others. Puts' And Legions Will Rise features three instruments not usually heard together - the marimba, violin and clarinet and his Einstein on Mercer Street is an inventive piece for baritone and large chamber ensemble. Audiences will also delight in masterpieces from the traditional repertoire, including Faurés C minor Piano Quartet and Shostakovich's epic Piano Trio, which have influenced Puts' appealingly fresh sound. The week closes with the Festival Chamber Orchestra led by Hugh Keelan and featuring Kevin Puts' Oboe Concerto played by longtime Festival favorite Peggy Pearson. August 22-25 Week three at the Skaneateles Festival features Musical Mentors. This week's theme celebrates the way in which music is passed down to us through an amazing line of musical teachers and mentors. Festival performers include revered masters and rising young stars of the chamber music world. Pianist Gilbert Kalish is one of America's most important musicians, not only for his own impeccable musicianship but also for his dedication to the development of younger musicians. He will be joined by the Jupiter String Quartet, already distinguished among the large number of fantastic up-and-coming string quartets today. Also performing will be twelve-year old prodigy pianist and composer Conrad Tao, who will solo with the Festival Chamber Orchestra. Audiences will be treated to works by composers who had a mentor/pupil relationship, ranging from Haydn and Mozart to Brahms and Schumann. August 29-September 1 The Skaneateles Festival has long been associated not only with the finest music, but also with a love of food, drink and camaraderie. This week combines all these qualities with an epicurean theme culminating in Schubert's famed "Trout" Quintet and Bach's beloved "Coffee" Cantata. Brilliant musicians, including cellist Steven Doane, pianist John Novacek, and violinists Mark Fewer and Curtis Macomber play everything from traditional favorites to rarely heard gems such as Martinu's La Revue de Cuisine to charming contemporary works such as Bruce Adolphe's The Bitter, Sour, Salt Suite. Audiences will be treated to a collection of light-hearted songs by Schubert, Schumann, Leonard Bernstein and Cole Porter performed by Mezzo-soprano Kathryn Cowdrick from the Eastman School of Music. The end of August introduces a delectable new event for the Festival, "Villas, Vittles and Fiddles." Held in a beautiful Skaneateles home, patrons will enjoy an evening of gourmet delights and a sampling of delightful chamber music. Capacity is limited, so call early for tickets and more information. The season's grand finale, "A Musical Feast in Memory of David Robinson," will pay tribute to the Festival's beloved founder with the Festival Chamber Orchestra and an all-star cast of soloists at Brook Farm. Peter Bay will conduct masterpieces by Bach and Schubert, and the Festival concludes with acclaimed clarinetist Jon Manasse performing Mozart's sublime Clarinet Concerto. Locations and Tickets: Skaneateles Festival concerts are held Thursday and Friday evenings at 8:00 pm at the First Presbyterian Church, 97 East Genesee Street in downtown Skaneateles. Friday evening post-concert receptions are also held in the church, and are open to all audience members. On Saturdays, concerts are performed at 7:30 pm from the porch of Brook Farm, a lakeside estate 2.5 miles south of Skaneateles on West Lake Road (Route 41A). Audiences are welcome to arrive as early as 6:00 pm and bring picnic suppers to enjoy on the lawn overlooking the lake. In the event of inclement weather, Saturday concerts move indoors to Skaneateles High School. Venue changes may be confirmed by calling 315/685-7418 or visiting www.skanfest.org after 3:00 pm on concert days. FamilyFest! free family concerts are held Wednesday mornings at 11:00 am at the First Presbyterian Church. Open Rehearsals and Student Workshops are also held at the First Presbyterian Church. Festival tickets are reasonably priced. Single tickets range from $15 to $30. Children under 13 may attend evening concerts free in "B" seating, though tickets are required for all ages. Discounted season subscriptions and weekly passes are available. FamilyFest! concerts, Student Workshops, and Open Rehearsals are FREE. Tickets for the special event "Villas, Vittles and Fiddles" are $40 per person or $75 per couple, and capacity is limited. For more information and a complete schedule, call 315/685-7418 or visit www.skanfest.org. Media Information: To arrange a press visit to the Skaneateles Festival, for photographs, or to schedule an interview, please contact the Festival by calling 315/685-7418. A complete festival schedule, high resolution pictures and other resources are also available on the website at www.skanfest.org. Click on "For the Media" on the right-hand side of the home page. Additional Background: Since 1980, the Skaneateles Festival has grown from a few concerts in the local library to a month-long celebration each August that attracts some of the world's finest musicians, involves more than 125 community volunteers, and draws an audience of 7,000 from all over the Northeastern United States. The Festival's performances have been acclaimed as "world class" and have been covered in The New York Times, Boston Globe, Bon Appetit, The New Yorker, and The Wall Street Journal.
A detailed concert schedule follows below the weekly summaries. The 2007 Skaneateles Festival opens with an unusual look at American music: "From Folk to Film." The Festival's co-artistic directors, pianist Elinor Freer and cellist David Ying, will be joined by the all-sibling Ying Quartet and one of today's leading folk musicians, multiple Grammy-nominee Mike Seeger, himself a member of one of America's most important musical families. In one unique evening they will perform music ranging from American classics by Samuel Barber to new works by Paquito D'Rivera and Jennifer Higdon to traditional old-time mountain music from the American South. The following night, the musical influence and glamour of Hollywood's film-score composers ill be heard through the entertaining ears of historic masters George Gershwin and Erich Korngold as well as current star John Williams. The week ends at Brook Farm with authentic "porch music" from the New Lost City Ramblers, in an evening of folk music performed by this American musical treasure. "Just playing with authenticity and style is a trick in itself, but Seeger does it with class and jovial spirit." Philip Elwood, San Francisco Examiner
The second week of the Skaneateles features the music of one of America's best and brightest young composers, Prix de Rome winner Kevin Puts. Fresh from commissions by cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the Aspen Music Festival, Puts will conduct and play an eclectic variety of his own music, and will be joined by several of today's leading young musicians, including members of the New York Philharmonic, Dallas Symphony Orchestra and others. Puts' And Legions Will Rise features three instruments not usually heard together- the marimba, violin and clarinet, and his Einstein on Mercer Street is an inventive piece for baritone and large chamber ensemble. Audiences will also delight in masterpieces from the traditional repertoire, including Faurés C minor Piano Quartet and Shostakovich's epic Piano Trio, that have influenced Puts' appealingly fresh sound. The week closes with the Festival Chamber Orchestra led by Hugh Keelan and featuring Kevin Puts' Oboe Concerto played by longtime Festival favorite Peggy Pearson.
Week three at the Skaneateles Festival features "Musical Mentors." This week takes as its point of departure the special way in which both today's performers and listeners receive the tradition of classical chamber music. This beautiful and profound music is passed down to us through an amazing line of musical teachers and mentors, and this week's performances celebrate the relationship between student and teacher. Festival performers will be at a fascinating range of stages in their musical lives. Pianist Gilbert Kalish is one of America's most important musicians, not only for his own impeccable musicianship but also for his dedication to the development of younger musicians. Violist Roger Tapping was for many years a member of the Takacs String Quartet, one of the world's foremost string quartets. Now he is forging a first-class reputation as a teacher of viola and chamber music, and has served as a mentor to the young Jupiter String Quartet. The Jupiter String Quartet is already distinguishing itself among the large number of fantastic up-and-coming string quartets today. They are recent winners of the Cleveland Quartet Award, among many other honors. Also performing will be twelve-year old prodigy pianist and composer Conrad Tao, who will solo with the Festival Chamber Orchestra. Audiences will be treated to works by composers who also had a mentor/pupil relationship, ranging from Haydn and Mozart to Brahms and Schumann.
The Skaneateles Festival has long been associated not only with the finest music but also with a love of food, drink and camaraderie. Some Festival-goers may even remember that the Festival was featured in Bon Appetit magazine some years ago, and so the music of this closing week of the 2007 season aims to combine all of these qualities. Brilliant musicians, including the Festival's favorite cellist Steven Doane, pianist John Novacek, and violinists Mark Fewer (Vancouver Symphony Orchestra concertmaster) and Curtis Macomber (Speculum Musicae) and many more, play everything from traditional favorites like Schubert's famed "Trout" Quintet to rarely heard gems such as Martinu's La Revue de Cuisine to charming contemporary works such as Bruce Adolphe's The Bitter, Sour, Salt Suite for violin and narrator and Paul Schoenfield's Café Music. Mezzo-soprano Kathryn Cowdrick from the Eastman School of Music will also sing a collection of light-hearted songs by Schubert, Schumann, Leonard Bernstein and Cole Porter. The 2007 Skaneateles Festival will be capped on closing night at Brook Farm with "A Musical Feast for David Robinson," celebrating the Festival's beloved founder. Peter Bay conducts the Festival Chamber Orchestra in Bach's Coffee Cantata, and the Festival concludes with outstanding clarinetist Jon Manasse performing Mozart's sublime Clarinet Concerto.
Week 1: "From Folk to Film" 11am, Wed., Aug. 8, FamilyFest: with Mike Seeger - First Presbyterian Church
Ying Quartet and Mike Seeger 8pm, Friday, Aug. 10: Reel Music - First Presbyterian Church Ying Quartet 7:30pm, Sat., Aug. 11, The New Lost City Ramblers - Brook Farm These "national poets" present our old-time American musical heritage with sparkling authenticity. String band classics, ballads, Cajun music, jug-band blues and banjo tunes are spiced with humorous tales of rural life in the imaginary hamlet of New Lost City. John Cohen, vocals, mandolin, guitar, kazoo, banjo
11am, Wed. Aug. 15, FamilyFest: Meet a Living Breathing Composer - First Presbyterian Church
8pm concert Lisa Kim, violin 7pm, Fri. Aug. 17, Beyond the Notes - First Presbyterian Church 8pm concert David Ying, cello 7:30pm, Sat. Aug. 18 - Brook Farm Festival Chamber Orchestra
2pm, Wed. Aug. 22, Behind the Scenes - First Presbyterian Church
Jupiter String Quartet: Nelson Lee, violin, Meg Freivogel, violin, Liz Freivogel, viola and Daniel McDonough, cello 7pm, Fri. Aug. 24, Beyond the Notes - Musical Mentors - First Presbyterian Church 8pm concert Jupiter String Quartet: Nelson Lee, violin, Meg Freivogel, violin, 7:30pm, Sat. Aug. 25 - Brook Farm Conrad Tao, piano
11am, Wed. Aug. 29: Workshops for music students - First Presbyterian Church Voice with Kathryn Cowdrick Visit www.skanfest.org for more information or to register. Pre-registration is required for participants.
8pm, Thursday, Aug. 30 - First Presbyterian Church Kathryn Cowdrick, mezzo-soprano 8pm, Friday, Aug. 31 - First Presbyterian Church Steven Doane, cello 7:30pm, Sat. Sept. 1 - Brook Farm Festival Chamber Orchestra
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